The Twilight 25
by LightStarDusting
Summary: Drabble submissions for The Twilight 25 fanfic challenge. Unrelated, stand alone pieces, each 100 words exactly. Short stories of less than 1000 words. Various characters, pairings, universes and ratings. Love to PTB!
1. walls

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
Prompt: **walls**  
Pen name: **LightStarDusting**  
Pairing: **Carlisle/Esme**  
Rating: **PG

He hadn't moved from the bench in hours. He sat, immobile, staring at the door.

The microwave still had 43 seconds left on it from last night, when she took her food out before the time ran out.

They hadn't fought. They couldn't fight because he was never there to have the conversation.

Their son was the piano player in the family. Attention turns to children and often talents are forgotten or lay dormant for years.

He lowered his hands to the keys and tried to play.

Time ran out.

The walls were closing in.

And his muse was gone.


	2. plea

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
Prompt: **plea**  
Pen name: **LightStarDusting**  
Pairing: **Edward**  
Rating: **PG

Dear Carlisle,

This is just to say  
I have fed from the girl  
whose blood sang arias to me  
in Biology class

The temptation was too great  
and there was no sense in fighting  
who I truly am  
Or who she truly was

It is done  
I am done  
Done pretending  
Done denying  
Done trying to be who I am not  
And what I am not

No other will be as gratifying  
I can not go back  
To the way things were  
Only forward  
To how things must be

Forgive me  
She was delicious  
So sweet  
And so warm

-Edward

* * *

**AN - A little homage to one of my favorite poems - This is Just to Say by William Carlos Williams**

**Love it? Hate it? Review it!  
**


	3. light

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
Prompt: **light**  
Pen name: **LightStarDusting**  
Rating: **K

Thus far, the ride had been disjointed. Stuttering and stopping every few minutes before starting up again.

"This isn't what I thought it would be." Alice was impatient.

"Wait for it, Alice." Bella held her friend's cold hand.

In moments, momentum picked up. The lit cage rose into the night sky, hitting its crescendo, before plummeting toward the earth.

Alice's face shone. Her skin looked iridescent in the light of the Wonder Wheel.

"All this time and I never knew. Why did I wait so long to feel this way?"

"You were waiting to experience it with me."

"I was."

* * *

**A/N - ****faeriegal713 rocks my world.  
**


	4. raindrops

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
Prompt: **raindrops**  
Pen name: **LightStarDusting**  
Character: **Bella**  
Rating: **K

My eyelids flutter open as the car speeds along the expansive highway.

Alice and Jasper are in the front, murmuring to one another in swift tones that are foreign to me.

My mind can't focus on anything but my body instinctively tenses in fear. Jasper turns slightly to check on me and instantly the fear is muted.

Outside the car, rain comes down in droves. Every so often, it catches the headlights of another vehicle. The light is bent through the drops on the window, which catches it and distorts it. Changing it into something it's not before moving on.


	5. stagnant

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
Prompt: **stagnant**  
Pen name: **LightStarDusting**  
Character: **Leah**  
Rating: **K

Cupping the sand, I slowly let it drain from one hand to the other like a makeshift hourglass. A gust of wind blows the sand away, just like any sense of progress in my life. Angry waves beat at the shoreline and I'm aware that the impending storm is nearing La Push.

Everything around me is progressing toward its next phase while my life seems desultory and static in its aimlessness.

All around me, friends, family, even enemies, have found their reason for being while I'm caught in a never-ending loop.

Wondering if I'll ever get my happily ever after.  


* * *

**A/N - Mr. LSD helped beta this one! I came out of the ff closet to him and it feels damn good.**


	6. juvenile

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
Prompt: **juvenile**  
Pen name: **LightStarDusting**  
Character: **Emmett**  
Rating: **K

"Bored."

"Bored."

"BOOOOORED. _So_ bored."

"I am so bored! There's nothing to do. Bored. Bored! BORED! BOOOR-"

"Get out!" Esme was channeling her inner banshee. I made the mistake of telling her so.

"GET OUT! Get out of this house this instant. I don't care where you go. I don't care what you do. But you need to get out of my hair before I rip you from limb to limb and make it look like an accident. Just you wait until Carlisle gets home, I swear he'll give you boys…" Blahblahblahblahblah. Esme continued on with her ranting about how she was sick of our whining. _Ring ring. Pot? Yes, hello. This is kettle! _She's not usually one to lose her cool but I guess we were all a bit punchy lately.

Being alive for nearly a century can cause boredom. Vampires should come with a warning sticker that says something to that effect. Especially being "vegetarian" vampires. I'm all about the lifestyle but you have to admit, dull. Furthermore, there's nothing to watch on television, no enemies to fight, nothing. The girls were out doing some girly rite of passage thing with Renesmee. I think I heard something about training bras before I stopped listening. It's just not necessary or right to think of my niece in that manner.

What's a vampire to do?

"Borrrrrred." Edward, Jasper, and I started up our one word song again. We even had a three part harmony going. Hanging out together for so long, you get to play around with things like that.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Esme stood up, book in hand. She had been on the same page for awhile now.

"Boys, you need to get out of my hair. Go play in traffic. Take a long walk off a short pier. Anything. Just let me be in peace!"

***

"You've got to be kidding me, Edward!"

Usually I came up with the hare-brained ideas but this time it was Edward leading Jasper and I, with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"This is fantastic!"

We stood in the middle of the road with cars rushing past. Tires screeched, horns blared, middle fingers were thrown in our direction. Little did the annoyed motorists know that we'd do more damage to their cars than they would to our bodies. We were jogging around, weaving in and out of the vehicles. It was pretty exhilarating. The thought of it being dangerous. Certainly we wouldn't get hurt but it certainly looked like we would to the Average Joe. Why hadn't we thought of this before?

Esme's car slowed to a stop next to us and she lowered the window. Surprised to see her there, the three of us leaned down so we could peer in. We braced ourselves, knowing that we'd probably have to deal with banshee Esme once again.

"Very funny, boys. Alice called to let me know of your shenanigans. Now get in. I didn't literally mean go play in traffic!"

* * *

**A/N - This one is for my son who takes me at my word and would play in traffic if I ever suggested it. He's four though.  
Special thanks to TheHeartofLifeIsGood. Especially for figuring out my 5am typing!**


	7. soft

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
Prompt: **soft**  
Pen name: **LightStarDusting**  
Character: **Charlie/Bella**  
Rating: **K

Charlie sat on the worn couch watching television. He was tired after a long shift at work. There were strange things happening in Forks.

Bella was in the kitchen, cleaning up after their dinner. He had offered to help but she had sent him into the den. She seemed to be adjusting but she was quiet. He wondered if she was truly okay.

She finished cleaning and started bounding up the stairs. He heard her stop and double back.

Bella flopped next to Charlie, her head on his shoulder, and sighed.

_Her hair is so soft. _Just as he remembered.  


* * *

**Thanks to movieblonde and TheHeartofLifeIsGood.**


	8. sour

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
Prompt: **sour**  
Pen name: **LightStarDusting**  
Character: **Jacob**  
Rating: **K

The jagged cliffs made her look smaller than normal as she threw herself off the edge. Salt water surrounded her body, and before I knew it, she was tumbling like a rag doll.

Small things don't matter when you are already submerged. Neither do large things.

Leaving questions for later, I dove head first after her.

I could only think of saving her. That's what I do, it's what I'm made for. Keeping her happy, keeping her safe, and making her whole.

Then she goes off with the bloodsucker, looking apologetic but not sorry.

I should have asked questions first.  


* * *

A/N - Thanks to the lovely movieblonde!


	9. sky

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
Prompt: **sky**  
Pen name: **LightStarDusting**  
Character: **Rosalie/Jasper**  
Rating: **K

Crown to crown, the lovers lay in the browning grass. Their fingers intertwine and their eyes trained on the sky. Strands of blonde dance together, his and hers.

Their relationship was a slow one, a quiet one. When the others found out, no one thought it would last. They weren't supposed to mesh. Surprisingly, they did. Balancing one another, it's a strong bond.

Shifting slightly, he turns to look at her face. She leans toward him and lightly kisses his nose. No words need to be spoken. Turning their faces back to sky, their smiles shine up at the sun.

* * *

Dedicated to TheHeartofLifeIsGood - I tried to make a non-canon match for her! ;)


	10. aesthetic

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
Prompt: **aesthetic**  
Pen name: **LightStarDusting**  
Character: **Emily**  
Rating: **K+

I slip into the minuscule bathroom, closing the door and resting my back against the towels that hang from the hook. This is the only room in the house that's empty, the only place I can steal away for a moment of quiet. The pack has descended on our house like a swarm of termites. They work their way into everything and eat us out of house and home. Everywhere I turn, there's another person directly in my space. Sprawled in the den, their overgrown limbs hang off the edges of the couch and chairs. The food from the kitchen disappears into their mouths faster than I can prepare it. Normally these things don't affect me. Today, I wish I was anywhere but here.

Exhaling deeply, I push myself off the door and take the two steps that bring me to the front of the sink. Toothpaste splatters cover the bottom of the mirror. Every time I see the splatters, I remind myself to clean it. Yet every time I leave the bathroom, something else comes up and I immediately forget. I consider cleaning it now, but the cleaning supplies are in the kitchen and I don't want to leave my refuge.

I rise up onto my toes to see my face in a clear area. Sam hung the mirror nearly a year ago, replacing the previous one he cracked during a fit of rage from the change. He hadn't thought about my being significantly shorter than he. He apologized and offered to move it down a few inches. But with all that has been going on lately, there hasn't been much time.

There are random moments when I'm able to forget about my exterior. I'll get caught up with something I'm doing and then catching sight of my reflection takes me by surprise. I'm still able to forget the damage when I'm not thinking about it.

Today, it's _all_ I'm thinking about. Another year to the day goes by since the _accident._

The lighting in the room makes my hair look darker than usual and my normally olive-toned skin appears sallow. My fingers on my scarred hand visit the jagged ridges on my cheek. I trace the uneven taut skin and while my touch no longer inflects any physical pain, my mind is in anguish.

I slowly lean so my face touches the side of the mirror, hiding the marred skin. The left side is reflected back at me, creating the illusion of one whole perfect face. I almost look like my former self. The tears are silent and quick.

"Em? Emily? You okay in there?"

The paper-thin door does nothing to keep Sam's voice from floating in. I fleetingly wonder if he has heard my soundless tears falling.

"I'll be out in just a minute, Sam," I reply softly, knowing that he'll be able to hear me.

Wiping the tears away, I take a few deep cleansing breaths. Pushing away from the sink basin, I put on the happy face they will expect once more. I can never allowing them to see what momentarily lurks beneath the exterior.

I look at my scars as the penance I pay. For visiting my cousin, meeting _her_ boyfriend, and sealing my fate as Sam's imprintee. For Leah, the pain brews on the inside. She carries it within and puts on the best front she knows how. And me? I carry the visible external reminder of Leah's internal pain.

* * *

A/N - I may have imprinted on duskwatcher2153, SweetVenom69, and blue2185. Thanks for betaing!


	11. erosion

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
Prompt:** erosion**  
Pen name:** LightStarDusting**  
Character:** Edward  
**Rating:** K+

Frozen in both body and mind, he watched them. A vast barrenness separated him from the couple but he didn't need to hear the words to understand the conversation.

In the past weeks, he attempted to reassure himself that what he was seeing was innocent. The fleeting glances and the brief yet significant touches were all imagined. _Damn it, it was his best friend_. Best friends don't do that to each other.

Rooted in his spot and unable to move, he just stood there. Pieces began to fall, the crumbling of the metaphoric stone started at the top near his skull adorned with an unruly mess. Bit by bit, chunks and layers of sediment fell to the earth, eroding away.

This particular moment was life changing. He felt all of what he was made of breaking off and falling in shards around him.

Numbly, he shuffled back to his car.

Turning off the radio, the noise in the car consisted only of his ragged breaths. Gasping, he attempted to fill his lungs once more with the air that was depleted when he saw the two together. The silenced cell phone vibrated on the empty seat next to him, the screen lighting the black interior. _Maybe…_

Quickly glancing at the screen, his mind registering _Sister. _It went disregarded.

Their home stood silently, taunting him with its emptiness. He stood silent and empty at the door.

_Where did I go wrong?_

A/N - Wrote this with Chasing Paper in mind. Not sure if I'm going to use it in the future or not, guess we shall see!


	12. touch

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
Prompt: **touch**  
Pen name: **LightStarDusting**  
Character: **Edward/Bella**  
Rating: **M

100 word drabble

"What's this one from?"

Fingers flitted to her thigh.

"I fell over the horseshoe stake when I was nine at the Rez. Probably should have gotten stitches for that one but didn't."

The fingers ran down her leg and stopped at the back of her calf.

"And this one?"

"Burn from the muffler on the motorcycle-"

Simultaneously, he hissed and kissed.

"I know."

His fingers traveled upward, past the curve of her hip and toward the swell of her chest, ghosting the inside of her left breast.

"And this?"

"That's not a scar, that's a beauty mark."

"Indeed, it is."

A/N – Thank you to the lovely blue2185 for the beta help.


	13. vivid

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
**Prompt:** vivid  
**Pen name:** LightStarDusting  
**Character: ****Emmett POV on Rosalie**  
**Rating:** K

100 word drabble

Exuberant; if I have to chose only one word to describe her that would be it. Every move she makes in life is with purpose and she has purpose in her life. No time for questioning or second guessing herself for that is not the type of person she is. It never was.

There are many who cannot handle her and her self-assuredness. Intimidated and fearful of what they are not. The exterior scares them enough that they will never go searching or appreciate the interior.

This is truly unfortunate, because her soul is vivid and her heart is deep.


	14. awkward

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
**Prompt:** awkward  
**Pen name:** LightStarDusting  
**Pairing:** Jasper/Bella  
**Rating:** M

**Chasing Paper won't get out of my head... so 100 words dedicated to it!**

Quietly closing the bedroom door behind me, I tiptoe toward the bathroom. Or at least what I think might be the bathroom. I haven't been here often enough and end up opening the door to the closet. I close the door, thankful that no one saw me.

"Hey Bella."

I freeze. Stuck in my spot and not able to turn or move my hand away from the knob.

_His_ voice. Not HIS voice, as in the man I just slept with. But the other his voice, the one I slept with nearly a thousand days ago.

I find mine.

"Awkward?"


	15. jealousy

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
Prompt: **jealousy**  
Pen name: **LightStarDusting**  
Character: **Edward before Bella's arrival**  
Rating: **K

Gnawing and burning deep within my chest, the pain is unstoppable. I can't tear my eyes from the couple, no matter how hard I try. They are an ulcer outside of my body, eating away from the inside, until there is nothing left of me.

They have everything and I have nothing.

For the rest of their immortal lives they will live and breathe the other. I can see how they are connected, wrapped together with a silver cord that connects their souls and their very essence.

I do not covet her. I covet what they have with each other.


	16. crusade

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
**Prompt:** crusade  
**Pen name:** LightStarDusting  
**Rating:** K

100 word drabble

Her vision had come but at a price and much too late to assist those she loved.

Slowly yet with deliberate intent, she raised her head. Blood red eyes met with ocher ones.

"Will you join and walk with us into battle?" He questioned.

"I fear that I cannot. My heart does not speak for the cause and I cannot lie to myself." She replied.

"You realize that you must die here and now because of this answer. Will you not reconsider?" He nearly seemed apologetic.

"I appreciate your position, but my mind is set," she affirmed.

"Such a pity."


	17. play

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
Prompt: **play**  
Pen name: **LightStarDusting**  
Characters: **Bella/Edward**  
Rating: **M for lemon - not interested? Move along, nothing to see here. ;)

The thousand thread count sheet billowed up around them, tenting them in the luxuriously soft Egyptian cotton. Wine had been consumed with dinner and then some _more_ afterward. She left a trail of her clothing around the house and up the stairs for him to follow, akin to a trail of breadcrumbs leading home in the deep wood. He followed her trail, picking up her clothes as he went, and disrobed at the same pace she had. A shirt for her shirt, pants for hers, until there was nothing left to remove. At the end of the clothing trail he found her_, his home,_ waiting for him. She was wrapped in the sheet and nothing more. The sheet that now flew in the air around them, falling softly against their bare skin.

She squealed, giggling, and tried to crawl her way out of the make-shift tent but he wasn't letting her get away. Grabbing at her ankles, he dragged her body across the bed so he sat in between her legs. Her hair fanned around her head and he pulled her closer to him. He'd waited too long to have her here, though they had just been here the previous night. He could not bear even the pretense of her leaving; he needed to be close to her always.

"Where do you think you're going?" His voice was dripping with sex and want.

"I didn't brush my teeth! There was garlic in our-"

"Don't care-" He cut her off, and then interrupted himself off by kissing up her calf and nuzzling his nose against her inner thigh.

She sat up once more, her hair falling off her shoulders and tumbling down her back. It appeared she was once more planning on going somewhere. He paused, a bit frustrated, and again opened his mouth to ask where she thought she was going. Before he could form the words, she pushed him on his back, effectively turning the tables and putting her back in charge of tonight's little game. She was feeling particularly frisky and he couldn't help succumb to her. She again flung the sheet up and away so that it billowed around them, falling gently onto her head and back and his legs. She swung her leg over his body and straddled him, trapping his legs underneath her and capturing him there; he was her willing hostage. Her calves folded under her thighs and her inner thighs and his outer ones kissed.

She was ruled by overwhelming urge to completely possess him. She could not help herself from pushing his arms over his head and running her hands from his hands, over his forearms and biceps, digging her nails into his skin. Her fingers continued harshly to his pecs and he hissed as she scratched her nails into the flesh of his chest. She was forceful, not gentle at all, and he loved every moment. She was ruled by her emotions, her wants and needs, and nothing else. Uninhibited and wild, a near animalistic look entered her eyes as she brought her hands up and tugged his hair while her teeth nipped at his earlobe.

His hands needed to touch her. On their own accord, they came down from where she had pressed them to headboard and quickly drifted to her hips. He loved what she was doing but he was always impatient when it came to her. He tried to shift her so that her hips would line up with his mouth, struggling to get underneath her, his lips to her lower ones. His mouth yearned to be on her, he needed to taste all of her.

She had a one track mind. _That could wait. This could not. _

His impatience did nothing to shake loose her control. Despite his attempts, she playfully batted his hands away, shaking her head and grinding her hips, moving her heat slightly up so he could almost push up into her. She needed to feel him. Needed to feel her skin upon his skin, her body matching up with his, and the movement of him inside of her. Now.

"I need you inside me," she breathed out, her breath spreading evenly across his face and drifting into him. This never got old. They had been together for what seemed like an eternity at times, but this was always fresh.

"Good, that's where I need to be." His unwavering gaze never broke from her eyes. She positioned herself over his erection, angling her body over his. There was no hesitation on either of their parts; she enveloped him, taking all of him. He gave himself willingly.

The sheet still rested on her head and back. As she moved on top of him, it rippled in waves around them. She threw her head back and pressed her hands behind her, the sheet pooling on his thighs. She caressed the smooth fabric into his solid muscles, squeezing in time with each of his thrusts. Her pelvis tilted with the movement and she loved the way he felt pressed deeper inside of her. She took pleasure in knowing that he _loved _looking up at her, her back arched and her breasts jutted out. He reached for them and she let him knead at them before he pulled her forward and pressed his face into the soft flesh.

She whimpered slightly, and then she moved faster, controlling his mind, body and soul. She was in complete control of him, but not of herself. The fire burned quick and spread throughout her. She moved faster, grabbing onto the headboard of the bed, aiding her body in keeping up with the fire.

All she could think about is the release his body afforded her: this man she watches through her days and her nights, the man to whom she can't help but feel the magnetic pull and from whom she can't possibly stay away.

They looked to each other at the same time, each catching the other's eye. It rarely happened but on this night, they simultaneously gasped and the fire licked low and deep within both of their bodies. She couldn't help but vocalize the feeling, screaming. He took a quieter but no less powerful route, cursing under his breath.

He pulled her close to him, holding her tight. Their bodies molded and melted together. He sprinkled light kisses across her collarbone as he stifled a chuckle. She looked at him questioningly.

"You _do_ have garlic breath," he teased, as his fingers moved deftly to her sides to tickle her.

"You're lucky I love you," she teased back.

"I tell myself that every day."

* * *

KrisBCullen – Thank you for making me think outside the box, as always. Amazing doesn't even begin to describe you.  
LoreliD – I'm so lucky I answered the call on PTB. ;) Not only did I find an amazing author but a terrific friend.  
TheHeartofLifeIsGood – You're up, chickie!!! I expect great things and I know you'll deliver.

**A/N – First ever lemon (written… don't get the wrong idea)! If you liked it, please let me know because your thoughts mean a lot.**


	18. worship

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
**Prompt:** worship  
**Pen name:** LightStarDusting  
**Pairing:** Renesmee/Edward  
**Rating:** K

100 word drabble

"You're home!"

The small bundle of unbridled energy flew toward her father. He caught her, throwing her into the air. Her curls caught in the wind as she came back down to his arms. She wrapped her legs around him and adoringly gazed into his eyes. Small hands rested on both sides of his face and she looked up at the star sprinkled sky. The fiery orange Harvest moon hung low, appearing to nearly touch the Earth.

_Can we fly there one day?_

"Why would you want to do that?"

_I want to wake up the man in the moon._

_

* * *

_Thanks to blue2185 and LoreliD!_  
_


	19. retribution

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
**Prompt:** retribution  
**Pen name:** LightStarDusting  
**Pairing:** Rosalie  
**Rating:** K+

100 word drabble

Women are not generally seen as dangerous creatures. We are expected to be quiet. Demure. So when a woman takes what is hers without fearing the consequences, it really throws the members in the "all boys club" for a loop.

I hear them talking about me as I walk among them. _"Did you hear…?"_ they whisper, sharing the latest tragedy. They are unaware just how close they are walking next to death. Smiling inwardly, I stroll by them, hidden in plain sight. They never see me coming.

You know what they say about payback?

That's me.

I'd do it again.


	20. wood

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
**Prompt:** wood  
**Pen name:** LightStarDusting  
**Pairing:** Jessica/Mike  
**Rating:** M

100 word drabble

I dance up the stairs, dragging him along, bottle of Jack in hand.

We do shot after shot. The amber liquid burns at first, but after a while, neither of us are feeling any pain. I keep attempting to climb into his lap, trying to press our lips together.

"No. Too drunk. Shouldn't be like it," he mumbles.

My shirt comes off and then my bra. His mouth is all over my boobs, of his own choosing. Before it's really begun, it's over.

"Shit! We can't do this!"

He stands, erection visible through his jeans. And runs from the room.


	21. voracious

**The Twilight Twenty-Five**  
**Prompt:** voracious  
**Pen name:** LightStarDusting  
**Pairing:** Bella/Edward  
**Rating:** M

100 word drabble

Thoughts of this moment have consumed me all day. Unable to hold myself back any longer, I pounce, attacking him with my mouth without any reservations.

Dragging my teeth against the sensitive flesh, I hear a groan emit from low in his chest. The sound can either be one of pleasure or of pain. The line between the two is deliciously blurred.

His body squirms and wriggles beneath my attentive sucking and the noises that come from him never cease to excite me. My tongue laps at the fluid that willingly spurts into my mouth.

The hunger will never cease.

* * *

A/N - Thank you to KrisBCullen, TheHeartofLifeIsGood, LoreliD, and blue2185. They were with me for the majority of TT25 and I truly appreciate the love and support! :)

Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer.


	22. crave

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
Prompt: **crave**  
Pen name: **LightStarDusting**  
Pairing: **EdwardxBella**  
Rating: **PG  
**ONE-SHOT**

**Yeah, You Shook Me**

He had watched her in the mall for weeks. In fact, he found himself going to the mall when he had no reason to, _just_ to see her. She sat in the middle of the food court, perched directly in the center for everyone to ogle her sleek body. She was beautiful and quiet, just waiting for someone to bring her to life.

He wanted to be that someone. He _needed_ to be that someone.

It seemed that no one was immune to her beauty. Men, women, children - no one could resist her. They were all drawn in, trying to get as close as they could without marring her perfection.

He knew he could win her. He knew he could make her his, so when the opportunity came up, he didn't hesitate. He walked into the mall knowing that this was his shot. His chance. There was no use in playing a game you couldn't win, and he had stepped up to the plate intent on winning.

He trembled with anticipation while he half listened to the voices around him. The rules were simple. One hand on her body and don't let go. If he let go, he lost. But he wouldn't lose. He'd make sure of it.

"And… go!" They all ran from the white line drawn on the ground towards the object of their desire. He gently put his right hand on her body. As did seven others. Some weren't as gentle as he and that made him cringe. They were manhandling her, putting their sweaty, dirty hands on her.

"Isn't she a beaut?" He said to the woman standing on his left.

"She? How do you know that this car is a she?" The woman questioned while she looked over, squinting a bit from the sunlight filtering down from the high skylights.

"This car? All cars, make that all MACHINES, are females. Cars, boats, planes. They are full of curves and sexiness. And THIS particular car has attitude. If you don't treat her right, you know you'll be standing on the side of the road."

The woman laughed lightly, "Ah, makes sense. My truck has definitely left me in a lurch. It-"

"SHE" he interrupted.

"SHE… is a senior citizen, I guess - old, cranky, and somewhat senile. She's seen better days, which is why I'm here for this contest. I need a car that gets me from point A to point B and back."

She had low expectations for the car they were both trying to attain. The Challenger could definitely do that and then some. Looking around he could tell that besides her, the other contestants were not going to be in it for the long haul. In the brief time they'd been there two others had already dropped out.

"So tell me, are YOU having girl problems with your current car?" she asked.

"No, no. Not at all. Sadie holds her own just fine. I just can't resist a challenge or the lure of this car." he explained.

"Sadie? That's your-" she broke off, grinning, as they both watched another participant run off in the direction of the bathrooms.

"Amateur," they both said at the same time.

He thought back in their conversation. Where had they left off?

"Anyway, yes. My car's name is Sadie. I'm thinking this one will be Bambi or Trixie."

She smiled at his cocky attitude. "You really are sure of yourself. And no offense, but those sound like stripper names."

"Exactly the point. This car is sex on wheels. She calls for attention, craves it. She demands to be noticed. Hey, what's _your _name?" he asked.

"It's Bella," she said as she moved her head in slow circles. All of the standing in one spot for so long was starting to make her joints ache a bit. Not that it mattered, she would stay as long as she had to. And having good company didn't hurt.

"Maybe I'll name her Bella then…"

"Funny."

"I wasn't joking."

***

The hours went by quickly as the two contestants spent most of the time talking about everything and nothing. The disc jockeys from the local radio station enticed another contestant off with a $5,000 shopping spree in the mall. Shoppers stopped to watch the show down, some taunted and others called out their support.

He learned more about her truck. He heard about her loneliness. She had a close relationship with her dad and mom but they both lived in different states. She had moved to the area recently for her career and while she was surrounded at work by people, she hadn't connected with anyone. They spoke about her love of horror movies while eating strawberry pull-n-peel Twizzlers. Of her need to sleep with a night-light to watch for things that went bump in the night.

She learned of his family and the strong bond with his siblings and their significant others, how playing piano relaxed him, and how driving fast cars revved him up. He had grown up in the area and knew every change that had happened in the last quarter of a century. He remembered this particular mall being built and the deer having nowhere to go because their home was no longer there. He told her that he was a vegetarian, not because he was necessarily opposed to eating animals, but he didn't like the texture or stringiness of meat.

"You know, I could so go for one of those pretzels right about now." He glanced over at the kiosk.

She smiled at him evilly. "I could go for one too. You know, you should really go get us some! Why deny the craving?"

"I'm liking you less and less."

Nothing could be further from the truth.

***

The contest continued into the night. There were two other contestants on the other side of the car, lasting longer than either of them had anticipated. As long as one hand was on the Challenger's body, the contestants were still competing. Both he and she slid to the floor and sat with their hands up against the car, facing each other.

Bella nodded off a bit and her hand started slipping down the side of the Challenger. Without even thinking, the man quickly grabbed it with his free hand and held it flush to the car. She mumbled something about stripper cars in her sleep.

And he realized how reluctant he was to let go of her hand. Of her. They had been together for nearly twenty hours and that wasn't long enough.

Soon after there was a blaring noise from the disc jockey's stand, waking Bella and scaring her all at the same time. His hand tightened over hers so that she wouldn't be forced out of the contest until he knew that she wasn't going anywhere. He withdrew his hand from hers as the disc jockeys began to speak.

They offered a substantial cash prize to the next two people taking their hands off the car. The other constants didn't hesitate, both taking their hands off at the same time. This had lasted longer than they had expected and if they were going to go out, they might as well walk away with something.

"I don't know why you would do that for me but thank you," she said softly.

He shrugged and smiled. _I would do anything for you._ Of course, to be honest, his intentions weren't completely altruistic. He did it for himself too. He didn't want to lose her.

"All this time we've been here together and you never told me _your_ name."

She reached out her hand, expecting him to shake it with his free hand.

And in that moment, nothing was the same. Suddenly he realized that the car he lusted over for weeks was no longer of importance. The game he was playing to win was no longer about a car. He no longer wanted the car; he didn't even really need it.

Not like he needed her.

His mind was set. Slowly he took his right hand off the car, forfeiting, and firmly grasped hers.

She let out a surprised gasp, her eyes widened and she blushed simultaneously.

He felt his heart stutter and trip around his chest.

"It's Edward."

**A/N - Sooo, what do you think? Does it convey the crave prompt?**

**Thanks to Storydiva for the encouragement and help! Much thanks to PTB.**


	23. mirror

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
Prompt: **mirror**  
Pen name: **LightStarDusting**  
Rating: **M for language  
**ONE-SHOT**

**On the Wall**

I stared Rosalie down while attempting to follow her fluid movements. She moved like a ballerina, even small movements were done with style. I could tell she was trying to throw me off but I wasn't going to allow her to get the best of me. We were supposed to be working _together. _

"Very good, ladies. Class, did you see what they did there? Every movement was in synch. When Rosalie was pantomiming brushing her hair with her left hand, Bella was mirroring the action with her right. It's all about watching your partner and anticipating their moves." Ms. Cope moved to the front of the auditorium, her Shakespeare quotes skirt swishing back and forth. She had quite the eclectic collection, all of which she handmade.

"Now for your assignment! I want you to take this game one step further. You have the partners I assigned this class period. I had the office aide check your schedules and I've matched you with people you see most throughout your day. I want you to _really watch _your partner and mirror their actions throughout the day during free time. Of course, pay attention in your classes! I don't want the other teachers being upset with me. Then tomorrow switch it up and have the other person lead the exercise."

The bell rang and Ms. Cope sang out to us, "I look forward to hearing about your experiences!"

Rosalie looked at me and smirked. Of course she would. Following the exercise, I smirked back at her. I knew full well that she would make my life a living hell for the rest of day. She was the puppeteer, pulling my strings. She loved being in charge and I was going to feel her wrath. Not that I had done anything to make her vengeful.

I recently read an article in one of those teen magazines,"6 Friends Every Girl Should Have." I know that the author was _not_ thinking of a friend like Rosalie when she wrote the article. You can't fit her into a neat little category. "The confidant" wasn't her title. Neither was "the defender." That girl has a touch of the devil in her and she was always looking for ways to mess with me. Honestly, I'm not sure I would call her a friend some of the time.

Well, this would be interesting.

We walked, side by side, down the hall. I'm proud to say that I got her sashaying gate down pretty early on. She'd flip her hair over her shoulder with her left and I would notice her bringing her hand up so I'd quickly jump in and flip mine off my right. The students of Forks High all knew what was going on. News travels fast, especially when it comes to peers making fools of themselves for drama class. They did their best to get in my way or walk between us. Is it time for graduation yet?

It was always an experience walking the halls with Rosalie. Alone, I would stumble into people while trying my hardest not to get swept away in the student tide. With her, it was as though she was Moses, using her staff to part the hordes of people. Make way for Queen Rosalie. And me, her mirror.

"Let's head outside, Bella. I could use a cigarette."

"You know I don't smoke, Rosalie."

"Mirror, Bella. Mirror! I'll do the boring library thing tomorrow with you. You get to come out here with me." Sure, that seemed like a perfectly fair trade. I get to shorten my life span and she got to expand her mind. We walked toward the corner where all of the smokers hung out. Truth be told, Rosalie doesn't normally smoke either. Like I said, she was loving this.

We bummed cigarettes off of Jasper and stood facing each other smoking. Maybe Rosalie thought I wouldn't play along because she got bored with smoking rather quickly. We chatted for a few minutes with the other kids outside, all pressed up against the wall so they couldn't be seen by anyone around the corner. I could see that she was already plotting out her next plan of attack. Of course, I made it look like I was contemplating things as well, like any good mirror image would.

We walked toward the cafeteria. To the left I saw Angela and Alice, facing each other and tossing apples from one hand to the other. They get to play with fruit and I get to-

Oh shit.

I saw Emmett sitting side-by-side with Edward. I glanced toward Rosalie and saw her eyes focus on her boyfriend and his brother.

Oh hell.

Rosalie was pretty perceptive when it came to my crush on Edward. I'd never said anything to her but I guess she'd noticed my blushing and stuttering in his general direction. I'd never actually _spoke_ to him before - just kind of stood in his general area and tried to soak in his presence.

I knew where this was going before she took a step in their direction.

I sighed and tried to dissuade her. "Rosalie, I know that you have evil things running through your head right now. I beg of you, if we are even the tiniest bit of friends, don't…"

She was not listening to me, of course.

Rosalie approached Emmett and gracefully swung her leg over him so she was straddling his lap, facing him.

_Oh, you've got to be kidding me. _But this is Rosalie and she doesn't kid. I attempted the move on my side of the table. My legs aren't nearly as long as Rosalie's however, I nearly kicked over Edward's soda in the process. I'm so hot. Seriously, who wouldn't want this?

I glanced next to us where Rosalie was whispering with Emmett. Her blonde hair draped around both of their faces, working like a curtain, and effectively keeping the rest of the world out.

I sighed again and looked apologetically at Edward. I probably should have thought of something eloquent to say while I was mirroring my way over but I was too busy trying not to throw up.

"Um, hi?" I said to him meekly. _"Um hi?" _Sadly, that's all I've got. _"I carried a watermelon" _is good conversation compared to my _"Um hi."_

_Say something else, Bella. _"I'm pretty positive this is not what Ms. Cope was thinking w--"

"Bella, you are supposed to being _mirroring _me. _Exactly_ what I'm doing over here. Get to it, woman."

Fantastic, Rosalie. I nearly said more than a two syllable sentence to Edward and she interrupts to further embarrass me. I look around the cafeteria. Hello, where are those nosey teachers when you need them? Why is no one rescuing me from this situation? I look doubtfully at Edward and he gives me the _be my guest _look.

I leaned forward so my posture was mimicking Rosalie's. My forehead rested on Edward's and my hair fell forward. I was perched toward his knees because Lord knows I didn't want our first interaction to include a lap dance. Not my style.

"You smoke?" What? Oh. He's talking to me.

"No." Back to the monosyllabic answers. Great. I felt like I was playing _Mother May I _and taking five giant leaps backward. Let's try this again. "No, that's all Rosalie's doing. I guess she felt like picking up the habit today."

The position we were in was very intimate and I felt the need to apologize for everything in the world. _I'm sorry for sitting here on your lap. I'm sorry Rosalie put you in this position. I'm sorry I smell like cigarettes. I'm sorry for world hunger and for sick babies. I'm-_

"I'm really sorry about this, Edward." There. That worked. I could feel my face burning.

"I'm not."

_He's not? _The surprise was evident on my face as my eyes widened and my mouth gaped. From the corner of my eye, I saw Rosalie leaning back and grabbing for Emmett's sandwich. I quickly glanced to Edward who was looking amused, his green eyes twinkling. Uh, those eyes. I'm definitely a sucker for the eyes.

"Go on Bella, help yourself."

Lap sitting, check. Eating the boy's food, check. I'm making out better here than most people did in three dates. We should just have sex while we're at it.

"You're being a really good sport about all of this, Edward." Frankly, I was grateful he was being so nice.

"Being a good sport has nothing to do with it. Rosalie may have overheard me telling Emmett how much I wanted the opportunity to talk to you. I was thinking that-"

"Miss Hale. Miss Swan. Kindly extricate yourselves from the brothers Cullen laps, please."

Oh, for the love of Pete. NOW the teacher decides to show up and say something? Meaningful conversation interrupted here. Sighing again, I move to get up off of Edward's lap.

Before I could get too far, Edward lightly grabbed my hips. "We aren't done talking. Meet me in the hall before Biology?"

"I'll be there."

Have I mentioned that Rosalie always knows exactly what she's doing? She slightly tipped her head, indicating I was to follow.

"Always leave them wanting more. Especially in the beginning." Rosalie suggested as we sashayed to our next class.

She smiled a genuine smile at me and I mirrored one back at her.

Twilight is not mine. Nor is Dirty Dancing. RIP Patrick Swayze.**  
AN - Thank you to the fantastic faeriegal713. You make my heart super happy (I watch way too much Noggin).  
I'd love to hear thoughts!**


	24. heart

**Disclaimer: The characters are Stephenie Meyer's.**

**The Twilight Twenty-Five  
Prompt: **heart**  
Pen name: **LightStarDusting**  
Character: **Edward**  
Rating: **K

**Righteousness Is Crumbling**

**A/N This started as a hundred word drabble (which is really 110 word drabble – whoops) and then evolved into a one-shot because the idea of it kept haunting me. The following is the drabble and immediately after is the one-shot.**

_Taking place pg. 165 of New Moon - Edward returns to Forks to check on Bella._

My family and I are vagabonds, unable to stay in one place for an extended amount of time and never truly having a sense of home. Being who we are, _what_ _we are,_ we all have to remain fairly detached. We didn't do that in Forks.

My leaving was for the best.

It was better for her. If I had stayed, she would have gotten hurt. It was better for me and my family, since now we wouldn't be tempted to do something we all would regret.

It was never my plan to come back. I _shouldn't_ have come back.

Yet, I could not stay away.

My heart remains here.

***

I left four months ago. I told her I was leaving - gave her my word that it would be as though I never existed. It was never my intention to return. Leaving her was nearly more than I could handle and I wonder why I'm standing here, watching her and torturing myself.

_I shouldn't have come back._

I couldn't stay away.

The rain drips from the tree limb above me in a steady cadence – the solemn fugue that provides the score to most every day here in Forks. I am grateful that it shows no sign of letting up. It keeps me obscured, which is useful as I have no desire to draw attention to myself. The few who stray out in the storm raise their umbrellas and lower their heads in an attempt to create a cocoon of warmth. Their thoughts are all the same - _Out of the cold, into the warm._ Unlike the humans, my body welcomes the rain. It's warmer than my normal body temperature and I find it to be comforting in this uncomfortable situation.

It is the rain that allows me to watch her with reckless abandon. My current surveillance gives the word reckless a new depth. Those outside don't take the time to see me and the weather veils me from people inside. There is no one to wonder why I'm standing in the middle of town, nothing covering me, voyeuristically watching Newton Olympic Outfitters. I can't say how long I've been standing here. I don't know. It could be minutes. It could be hours. My years as a vampire have given me a different sense of time. My devotion to her makes the notion of time itself seem ridiculous. It is as though time is suspended while I stand in the rain, watching her.

Every cell in my body is telling me to run to her. To throw my arms around her delicate body and to never again let her go. Yet my brain screams at me, holding me back. _This is not right. You should not be here. Keeping her _safe_ is more important than keeping her _close.

Eighty-eight years ago, my human life came to an end. My heart ceased to beat and remained only as a useless vestige of a dimly remembered past. Nonetheless, my motionless heart now aches for Bella Swan. Apparently, even a vampire can be haunted by the ghost of his own heart.

My heart's ghost is a cruel creature, perhaps a retribution for my past transgressions. Not only does it haunt me but it had taken on a tangible, physical form. It had found its home within Bella. Possessing her and allowing her to be foolish enough to think that she could love someone, _something_, like me. The ghost calls to me, draws me close to her even though I should be nowhere near.

I focus my hearing into the store and eavesdrop as Bella directs the customers when they her ask questions or as she rings up a sale. I listen as she calls to Mike in the back room, asking a question about the status of an order for a customer on the phone. I watch the two of them interact. Bella and Mike. Mike and Bella. They converse together and she smiles tentatively at him.

It's a wonder how many times in the past year that I've envied Mike Newton. Prior to Bella's arrival, it's the last thing I would have ever thought I would feel. Yet, I'm jealous. I'd never have that sense of familiarity that he is able to have with her. I can hear Mike's thoughts as he works side by side with Bella. He wants to ask her to a movie. He wonders if asking her to dinner as well would be too much. I am truly jealous of him and his _humanness._ When she and I were together, every movement I'd ever made had been intentional. While I could always speak freely with her, I would never be able to truly _be_ with her. Not like he could.

Seeing Mike coming toward the front of the store, I slide slightly behind a tree that I'm standing near. I need not worry; he pays no attention to anything except Bella. He's talking to her over his shoulder and flips the sign from the open side to closed. Bella glances out the window, perhaps feeling the pull of my prying ways. I slide further behind the tree. If she sees me, if we have that connection, I will never be able to leave. Shaking her head at something Mike says she looks contemplative for a moment, as she moves to take off the plastic vest.

Before meeting her, my desolate heart sat dormant for years. She breathed life into it, into me. Bella is the walking embodiment of my heart. And this knowledge is excruciating because I know I can never be near her again. I am so close, yet she is completely unaware I am here. She can't know. It would undo everything that had been done. While I don't want it to be so, I know it needs to be.

It is the normalcy of her life – the mundane details of her workday that remind me her heart still beats. Even the ghost of my heart knows that for her to be happy, I need to flee once more.

With that thought, I do.

* * *

**And that's the end of THIS Twi25 - the platonic prompt is posted separately since I continued with the idea for this edition of the Twi25! Hope you come along for the ride!**

Thanks to PTB, TheHeartofLifeIsGood, & movieblonde.

Title from Weezer/That Dog's "I Just Threw Out the Love of my Dreams."

Reviews are love!


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